#WeGoSolo Contest: Your Dream Solo Travel Destination!

Back in early 2011, I remember sitting at my cubicle on just another day at work in Singapore. I had pictures of Spiti open before me, while all my pending work lurked away in other tabs. After spending so much money, time and effort on obtaining a bachelor’s degree in a subject I really couldn’t care less about, graduating in the middle of a recession that people wouldn’t stop talking about, and spending the first six months of corporate life in a role involving spreadsheets that made me absolutely miserable, I was finally doing work I actually liked.

But even the high of being a social media strategist in the tourism industry was slowly fading away. I began asking myself if I was going to spend my whole life in the rat race. If climbing the corporate ladder is really what mattered to me. If all that money in a not-so-distant future would make me happy. If this was my quarter life crisis. Or whether these questions would haunt me for the rest of my life. Deep down, even at 23, I knew I wasn’t quite meant to be here, but had no idea where I was meant to be.

It must have been in one of those moments that I decided I was going to the high Himalayas of India. Alone.

Introspective in Spiti.

My First Solo Trip.

The magnitude of that decision, or how it would change the course of my life, didn’t strike me till the morning I actually left my hometown in India, for the first leg of the journey to Shimla. The days preceding it were full of battles with my family, who couldn’t quite fathom why I would want to go up those remote mountain roads, without so much as a concrete plan – and in a way, the resistance at home only strengthened my decision to go. On that month long trip, I hitchhiked through remote villages, spent time getting to know the monks and nuns in ancient monasteries, and experienced life in some of the highest inhabited Himalayan villages. At the end of that trip, I quit my job and moved back to India, hopelessly in love with the road.

Travelling by myself gave me perspective, made me stronger, expanded my comfort zone, and in a way, liberated me. And every solo trip I take continues to do that.

At Komic, one of the highest inhabited villages in the Himalayas.

#WeGoSolo

Unfortunately, only negative news about solo travel ever makes it to the media, especially where female travellers are involved. But even a quick look at the travel blogosphere will show that the sheer number of women safely travelling the world alone! So when my friend and one of Canada’s top travel bloggers, Mariellen Ward, started the #WeGoSolo movement in the days following the tragedy with a solo female traveller in Turkey, I had to jump on. This was my chance to share my own experiences with the world, connect with fellow solo travellers, and inspire would-be travellers to go it alone. Every Wednesday at 8:30pm IST, solo travellers come together for a Twitter chat to discuss the realities of travelling solo – and it is amazing just how many women are travelling by themselves!

Solitude in the Canadian Rockies.

Hostelbookers team up with WeGoSolo.

This blog post and contest is dedicated to those of you who have mustered the courage to travel alone, and to those of you who have dreamt about doing it; believing that it is neither impossible nor impractical is the first step. The team at Hostelbookers is passionate about helping travellers fulfill their dreams of seeing the world, and have been encouraged by the #WeGoSolo project from the start. Their team has joined hands with #WeGoSolo to help the world understand female solo travellers better, inspire and create resources for women to travel alone, and reward you with an awesome prize!

Image via Hostelbookers: Inspiring female travellers to go solo!

THE CONTEST

What do you win?

A two night stay for 2 people at any one of the accommodations offered by Hostelbookers.com, upto a maximum of EUR 150 (~INR 11,000). They have hostels and budget hotels across 3,500 destinations, including India.

How do you win?

Fill out this short survey on “Going it alone”, so we can help people better understand the female solo travel community across the world, and help companies like Hostelbookers shape relevant products and experiences, AND

The winners will be picked randomly by me in a lucky draw. While this specific contest is only for female travellers, the men can help share it with their female friends and in turn, inspire them to travel.

Dates to note:

The contest ends on June 25th, and results will be announced on my blog on July 9th, and on the #WeGoSolo tweet chat on July 10th.

UPDATE: This contest is now closed. Thanks all you wonderful ladies for your participation. Stay tuned for the results!

Share this contest and survey on Facebook and Twitter, so as to spread the message that solo female travellers are ready to take on the world!

Multiple your chances to win by entering the same contest on 3 other blogs (besides mine) chosen as #WeGoSolo ambassadors: Mariellen’s BreatheDreamGo, Sherry’s Ottsworld, and Amanda’s A Dangerous Business.

All the best. Let’s dream and dare as WeGoSolo!

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Terms and Conditions

This Competition is open to participants aged 18 and over.

This Competition is not open to employees of HostelBookers, their family members, HostelBookers’ agents, or anyone professionally connected with the competition. [might want to add etc if you have people working with you / your blog in professional manner]

Participants enter the competition by completing the survey and leaving an answer to the question “What is your dream solo travel destination?” in the comments section. Only one entry per person is allowed.

No responsibility is taken for entries which are lost, delayed or misdirected, or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason.

The competition will run from 09:00 GMT 5th June 2013 and will close at 00:00 GMT on 26th June 2013.

The prize is a two night stay for two people at any property on the HostelBookers website, up to the value of EUR 150. All accommodation stays are subject to availability and must be taken within one year of the winner being notified of the prize.

The prize must be taken by the prize winner and may not be transferred to or taken by any third party.

The winner will be randomly selected by me and announced on the blog on 9 July 2013. I reserve the right to settle any conflicts that may arise.

The winner will be notified within 7 days of the prize draw by email.

If I do not hear from the winner within fourteen days of the prize draw, I reserve the right to conduct another prize draw to determine a new winner.

HostelBookers act as an agent in respect of all bookings we take or make on your behalf.

For all bookings, your contract will be with the supplier of the accommodation or other service specified.

Hello! I'm Shivya. 7+ years ago, I quit my full-time corporate job and started travelling the world. I gave up my home, sold most of my possessions and embraced the life of a digital nomad. I'm passionate about sustainable tourism, offbeat destinations, solo travel and veganism. If you enjoyed reading this blog post, leave me a comment and let me know. You can also buy a copy of my bestselling book, The Shooting Star. Thanks for joining my adventures virtually!
Connect with me on Instagram/Twitter @shivya.

136 Comments

Shivya, I wrote. I wrote. The reason I started following you was because you are a solo traveller. I have been meaning to at least take a trip alone, but I am simply afraid if I will get lonely and end up sad. Now, this opportunity makes me feel I should give it a shot! Who knows, I may just be picked!

This is what I wrote on the survey too. On my dream destination to go solo travel – A quiet village, somewhere in the world. Where I can speak their language and learn about the way they live. Thailand/Indonesia has been on my mind for sometime now. I want to take a cooking class at Chiang Mai or to Live at Bali for a week exploring people, places. Visit Gili ilands, may be. Sleep in one of those gorgeous beach side beds.

As usual, your post is incredibly inspiring Shivya. A solo trip to Spiti sounds so adventurous and peaceful at the same time . Love the post. Ps- If you are planning to visit Singapore anytime soon, let me know. Would be great to meet you.

You inspire me by your solo travels ！
I have traveled solo before and when I read posts like the one above it inspires and encourages me to travel solo more and more.
One destination I would like to travel solo to is Ladakh. I think the sheer beauty of the place can best be enjoyed in solitude. I would love to trek through those mountains in solitude, just me and my camera !

“Doing as others told me, I was Blind.
Coming when others called me, I was Lost.
then I left everyone, myself as well.
then I found Everyone, Myself as well.” Says Rumi

And I say – never was a truer word written. Solo travel has the wonderful effect of putting you in touch with the soul of the place – because you’re undistracted by fellow travelers you are so much more sensitive to your surroundings.
I traveled to Australia with a group of friends and found the place exhilarating but had to forego many pleasures because of group dynamics. I’m going to go back there alone, and really connect to the continent and the Aboriginal culture. Can’t wait.

While I am not travelling solo at the moment, I think it’s someone everyone should try at some point in their lives. My first solo trip was to Lisbon and I learned so much just being by myself in a completely foreign place. I must admit, it took some getting used to dining out alone (I found it so strange!), but by the end of the trip I didn’t feel so awkward anymore. As for dream destinations, I kind of have my eye on Japan. 😉

I was born and raised by my vietnamese parents in Germany. Right now, I am in the USA as an AuPair. Besides taking care of my host children, I definitely got to see a lot of places so far.
I traveled by myself for my vacation to Florida and Mexico which was my first time solo. At first I didn’t intent to travel alone but after I have waited for companion’s answers week after week, I decided to just fix the plan and book the flights. I didn’t want to wait any longer or even worse not being able to go at all just because no one else could come!
In the end, I can say that I do not regret it and that I had the best time. Going solo for the first time made me worried of course but after my vacation I felt so self-confident. I feel more open to new people and culture now.
Some months later I traveled to Chicago on my own again just because I felt so good about it the last time.
I still want to see a lot of places, so I have a whole dream destination list. For now, I would be really excited to see Australia, Thailand and India.
( I played Holi in NYC, it would be amazing to experience it in India. I met an Indian girl while traveling in Mexico and she strongly recommened it 🙂 )

My dream destination is Japan. I’ve traveled across Europe and South East Asia solo, and decided to move to Cambodia solo. I love the inner joy that solo travel can bring. Japan is top of my ‘one day’ wish list destinations.

I took my first solo trip only a few years ago. I was confident up until I was about to get on the plane. I worried that I would get lonely or be the target of theft because I was solo. I ended up having an amazing time and will travel solo again. My dream solo destination would be Argentina.

Your leap of faith and adventure to India is inspiring. It takes courage, that’s for sure. I love traveling solo, but have not had the nerve to chuck my corporate job and head out into the world full-time. I wish I felt that free.

Thats an interesting contest, Shivya. As you know, I rarely participate in contests, but cant resist entering this one 😀 My dream solo tour is not really a destination, but a journey. I would love to travel all over India by train…. from Udhampur to Kanyakumari, and Okha to Dibrugarh, and even try out the narrow gauge and meter gauge trains at some places. It is a trip I would much rather do alone than with anyone else, since it would truly give me the freedom to explore without thinking of anyone else for a change! Incidentally, while I still havent travelled alone, i have now begun travelling with samhith, who is now 10. this is closest i have got yet to travlling alone, and really enjoyed it!

My dream solo destination would be Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival!
Every time I follow your solo travel endeavours, I feel like packing a bag and leaving! I wish I could say I haven’t travelled solo because of family restrictions (which is definitely a problem) but I think more han that, I’m worried about getting lonely at some point on the tour and then just wanting to rush home!

This is a tough one for so many reasons. I want to #gosolo but I’m slightly afraid. And I’m also hampered by an ever-growing list of destinations. So, choosing just one is … daunting.
Still, were I to be traveling alone anywhere, I think I’d pick Peru. Machu Picchu & Iguassu Falls, here I come!

I think my dream solo destination is the Seychelles. So far I’ve been lucky enough to see quite a bit with and without my family, but honestly. As much as I love my 3 little boys- a good relaxing rest for mama would be spectacular!

I have always thought of travelling solo but never could gather that confidence to do so and parents too were also not encouraging about this idea ….This contest is cool and my dream destination could be Canada 🙂

My dream solo destination would be Spain… or Israel… or Istanbul. Really I can’t pick one. I have yet to solo travel, but I do have a trip planned to Europe next year. I am a bit anxious about certain parts of the trip, but overall I am really excited to get out there and travel on my own! 🙂

Hi Shivya 😀 this is inspirational and I must thank you for sharing this. I, too, would like to travel solo and I want to travel to as many countries as I can. My dream destination would be the United States of America. Why? It’s a very different world compared to where I grew up in. My country is colorful and rich in both nature and culture, so when I visit places like Bali, Indonesia or Phuket, Thailand – we share very similar values and I want to go somewhere where everything is different, way bigger but equally interesting. I would go solo if I were to travel to the USA. I know the experience will be mind-blowing and life-changing.

I would love to visit Germany, in particular Berlin. I have heard fantastic things about the place and I really want to see more of Europe. While I was travelling solo through Africa and India, I found myself talking about how little of my own continent I had seen. I plan on focusing on setting that to rights 🙂

I’d love to go to Rio, buy a new VW camper (which they make in Brazil!!) and drive it from Brazil, across central America, the US and up to Canada, staying on couches, in hostels and, of course, in my van!

Definitely India – because after all the rape cases, it’s not a recommendable destiation for girls traveling solo. Let’s face it and see what can I do for Indian girls. That’s my personal challenge and my Indian dream.

I have been to most of the US with friends but last year i did London and Paris for 2 weeks all alone. I was encouraged greatly by my mom. she said ” Dont hinge your enjoyment of life on other people, you may not get another chance.” My dream as of now is Italy! Fly into Milan, then train travel to Florence, Venice, Naples(and Pompeii) then finish with Rome and the Vatican.

Finding oneself is a luxury as much as it is a challenge. I learnt this a few months ago. Steering too close to a breakdown, I had nothing around me that have me a sense of purpose.
After a short trip to Salalah on my own, I discovered myself. It was all I needed. The answers were within me. I guess after staying wrapped up in work and family holidays and pleasing others for three straight years, it was time to find myself. My purpose.
There comes a time in life.. I’m sure you understand… When everything simply blacks out… Thinking is stressful. Breathing too.
When I found the person I am I found the person I’m meant to be. I promised a new experience to myself as much as I possibly can.
I hope to visit London this year. I’ve only been planning since 2005! I want to celebrate my 25th by treating myself to a trip and I want to meet my friend after 10 years! 🙂

Costa Rica 🙂
Its always ranked very high on the Happiness index as well as for safety and even greenery! There’s adventure and calm both side by side and I’d love to dive into the variety of experiences this tiny nation offers..

My solo dream destination is China. Though my family is Chinese, I know very little about the country as I was raised in Australia. I find traveling alone gives you the freedom to do things you normally wouldn’t if you were with someone. And I find that I tend to meet more people traveling solo than if I’m with friends as I have to fend for myself, and it makes me that little bit more confident with each trip!

i’d love to go to bali and do a work stay solo. it’s an area of the world i haven’t spent much time in, and i’d like to challenge myself a little. wouldn’t be so hard as i hear it’s quite gorgeous there 😉

Hi :)My dream destination cant be a single place as there are so many countries to explore and live and love!!..I would love to go to an exotic place like Maldives or a transcontinental country like Turkey or Canada which according to me is the best country to live or a dangerous place like Mexico..I really wanna go to these countries and see for myself how strong & confident I am!

It is very difficult for me to choose a dream solo destination with there being so many amazing places and cities that I have not had the pleasure in visiting. After living the past 12 months of my life in Germany and learning about a new culture, It has made me want to take a step further and learn or even integrate into many more different cultures. However, if I were to choose one place in the world that I would love to visit Chicago, USA. From a young age, has Chicago been on the top of my list and I hope that one day I will be lucky enough to have the opportunity to go there! 🙂

Shivya 🙂 I had emailed you last year when I was still looking forward to a life of solo trips. Now I have moved to a different continent to study, and have taken several solo trips here in Europe. Three places on the top of my wish-list are Morocco, Israel and Jordan. But they are on hold for now as they don’t fall under the Schengen Visa 🙁

I live in Milan now… Been to quite a few places, but so far solo has been Luxembourg, bit of France, Germany, Slovakia and Austria.
Next month I’m going on an epic 1-month east Europe trip… And the intention is only to use car-sharing and couchsurfing. No trains, no planes and no hostels (unless I’m absolutely stranded). The plan is to go to the starting point, and then choose the next stop… So it’s completely unplanned! The thought is terrifying, but I CANNOT wait!!

I just came back today from my first ever Solo trip, I went to Himachal, Ladakh and Srinagar for fifteen days. The experience is really indescribable and I feel more women should travel alone in order to feel liberated.

Today is when I discovered about you and the blog. Cheers to you! I have been making solo trips for 3 years now and with that being said, my dream destination is the oldest city in the world – Damascus. While my previous attempt to visit the place failed, I am hopeful about making the trip towards the end of this year.

Shivya – I have been following your blog religiously and love every post of yours. The adventures you take, help me to escape the mundane routines of everyday life. Am a new mother, and so I have not had enough opprtunities to travel over the last year. My daughter is going to be a year old next month, and am so hoping to get hitchhiking again. I enjoy mothehood but also waiting to get back to the old life. I feel the need to travel now more than ever 🙂 My dream destination would be Ladakh. Hope to visit the place this year.

I’ve travelled solo very rarely in life, mostly because I feel it’s not possible to enjoy a place without sharing it with someone. The downside is if you don’t have the right travelling companion/s it can also ruin the experience for you forcing you to participate in inane chatter and mindless occupations.

My dream travel destination is in India itself…the entire northeast. It’s been on my list for a while. The desire to meet the seven sisters and know what makes them unique and why they need to be heard and seen by the rest of the country. I want this to be a non stop trip encompassing several days so I can truly soak in the culture of each place 🙂 Am already working to making it happen.

You, as many have said before me, are truly inspirational. How does that title feel weighing on your young shoulders :p I hope I one day have the guys to give it up and follow what I want to do, like you. Till then I’ll keep asking you for help.

I am a fan of your courage! Whenever I read a new post in your blog/fb page, I have not read past it without wondering about the courage you would have mustered up the first time you decided to take up travelling your career! When your career and passion are same, it is a beautiful thing! It was amazing to read through the emotions you would have gone through when you decided to take up travelling/solo trip! Thank you for showing the different offbeat destinations to the world and I hope to experience the offbeat locations of New-Zealand.

My solo dream destination is China. I have been to the touristy spots of China and I recently discovered that China has vast areas of ecological interest. I love nature and I’m very much interested about the idea of doing ecotour/s which I believe is best experienced in China. I dream of traveling to Zhangjiajie Hunan, Jiuzhaigou Sichuan, Yangtze River, Guilin and Lhasa Tibet.

My dream destination is the whole world. I want to see it ALL!! 🙂 Do an around the world trip following the sun. However if I do have to chose a top 3, then that would be Africa, South America and Europe… Nope can’t narrow it down to countries.

I would like to go back to South America to visit the countries I didn’t have time to visit on my first trip, like Ecuador and Colombia.
I was travelling around that contintent for 16 months on my own, and I absolutely loved it. It was my first trip alone, and before I started it, I was a bit scared that I wouldn’t like the experience, but I met so many people, and everyone treated me so great, that I fell like home everywhere I went.
That’s why I stayed for a bit longer in every place I visited, and, unfortunately I run out of money before I could visit the last countries in my plan (Ecuador and Colombia).

I love travelling solo, it makes me feel kind of obliged to meet more new people than when travelling with friends. My dream destination is Ireland – I would want to see literally everything – from big cities to green deserts. I love Irish culture and throughout all these years I have heard so many wonderful stories and opinions on the people and the sights… I hope one day I will be able to feel the Irish spirit all around me!

I would love to go visit Canada at least once. My cousin lives there, so it’ll be great to visit her while checking out the Rocky Mountains and other nature sceneries. I would love to go solo to surprise her.

All I have ever travelled solo to my parents’ house in Ahmedabad and back. I stay in Bangalore. I know that’s not the kind of travelling solo you mean – I haven’t done that, but I would love to, someday…

I have filled up the survey form, and would love to participate in the contest.My dream solo travel destination would be Kerala – a quiet place there in the midst of backwaters and beautiful greenery (for some reason, the place makes me feel safe!)

Excited about the women solo travel contest! I feel part of the revolution – my dream is to becoming a solo traveler and turn travel into my lifestyle!! This trip would be an amazing experience and a great place to start!!

I have always been smitten by the charm of Europe. I have been to London, Scotland, Wales, France and Switzerland when I was 10. However, the faint memories of staying at a Scottish B&B, the lovely french breakfast, cheese-making farm-stays, sipping English tea and admiring the snowy mountains will always be a reason to travel there. I love to travel in company of family and friends but when I plan my first solo trip it has to be the European country side – Birbury (England), Tremolat (France), Binn (Switzerland), Durstein (Austria), Rothenburg ob der tauber (Germany) and Palmanova (Italy).

Barcelona!!
Because I’ve never been there, but it is a destination that has always attracted me!
It’s a great city, beautiful, interesting, with a lot of people!
Holds a vast mix of cultures and traditions … Fabulous architecture, Roman ruins, medieval city, the “capital of the Catalan Modernism” …
For me it just seems to have a mystical ambience!
It has many places to meet and visit! Several museums, squares, want to go to the Picasso Museum and the Natural Sciences 🙂

There are many other places I liked to go. India <3 Greece, Italia, Turquey, Copehagen, The Netherlands, …many!

My dream solo destination is Indonesia, for the scuba diving.
My first big solo trip, 9 months in SE Asia, was solo because my travel partner bailed on me at the last minute. It turned out to be a blessing, as I realized I loved traveling alone. On that trip, I went snorkeling in Indonesia and was blown away by the beauty of the reefs. I can’t wait to go back, to go scuba diving. Being a solo female diver is great – it’s always easy to meet new dive buddies on the boats!

My dream destination would be Australia/New Zealand. I had my first solo traveling experience last summer when I was going to do study abroad for a month and decided to travel around Europe for three instead of just being with my classmates. I saw 14 countries in one summer! I’m a law student and I was struggling a lot after my first year and it was really that solo experience that reaffirmed my faith in humanity. I really hope that I’m able to see the whole world because traveling brings out the best in me.

I will admit that I’m not as adventorous as some of the people commenting here. In fact, I have never travelled alone before, but I would love to start (and I am just 20 years old, so I think I have plenty of time:).

So, my dream destination would be Siracusa, Sicily, because I love Italy, but I have only been to the northern parts so far. Siracusa has numerous monuments to see and beautiful beaches as well. It simply owns my heart.

Thank you for this chance.:) I wish a lovely summer full of travel-adventoures to everyone!

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ABOUT ME

Hello! I'm Shivya Nath. In 2011, at age 23, I quit my corporate life with a dream of traveling the globe. 2 years later, I packed up my life into a backpack and decided to hit the road indefinitely. I travel slow, seek offbeat and local experiences, stay in a place for a few weeks or as long as it inspires me, and move on.

I've hitch-hiked along Romania's northern countryside, lived with a Mayan community in Guatemala, journeyed along Canada's great wilderness by train and swum with black tip sharks on Malaysia's east coast. I hope to inspire you to step out of your comfort zone and discover the world!